Speed control for textile machinery.



E. 0. BOLES.

SPEED CONTROL FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5, 1913.

1,189,045. Patented June 27,1916.

Inyehtor dwin D.BoIes.

' -'His Attorny.

Witnesses: I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN D. BOLE S, OI BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK.

SPEED CONTROL FOB TEXTILE MACHINERY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN D. BOLES, a

-citizen of the United States, residing at for Textile Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the control of textile machinery, such as spinning frames and the like, and has for its object the provision of a control which .is entirely independent of the spinning machinery. It also comprises certain features of construction which are of general application.

My invention relates more specifically to the control of spinning machinery in which each spinning frame is driven by an electric motor.

It is a well known fact that the yarn tension on a ring spinning frame varies continuously. This variation in tension is due principally to two causes, one of which results from the varying diameter of the bobbin, while the other results from the vary ing length of the balloon during the rise and fall of the ring rail. The tension on the. yarn varies inversely as the diameter of the bobbin and varies directly as the length of the balloon. In the filling wind as distinguished from the warp wind, as the ring rail moves from the small end or peak of the cone to the large end or hip and back, the tension on the thread gradually decreases in the downward movement toward the hip and then increases on the upward movement toward the peak With each advance of the ring rail, after the downward and return movement is completed, the balloon is permanently shortened by a decrement and the tension on the yarn proportionately decreased. Ordinarily the spinning frame is driven at a constant speed, which speed is so adjusted that the tension on the thread will never exceed a safe value. It has long been recognized that spinning at a constant speed does not produce the best results, principally for the reason that with the constant speed which must be employed the machine is not worked to its fullest capacity.

Various attempts have been made to vary the speed of the machine to keep a constant tension on the yarn, since it was early recognized that with such a variation, the aver- Speoiflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application flied February 5, 1918. Serial No. 746,274.

age speed of operation would be greater than the highest constant speed at which the machine could be safely operated. These attempts have generally met with indifferent success, although a more satisfactory system has been devised in which an electric motor is employed and the motor caused to vary 1n speed.

So far as I am aware, in systems of this. character heretofore proposed, the variation in speed of the motor 1s obtained by "operating the speed varying device from a controlling member or members having a fixed and unvariable relation with some element of the spinning machine which will give the desired movement, as, for instance, thebuilder. While this system was a considerable improvement over those formerly suggested, it did not entirely meet the everyday requirements, since the change of connections which was necessary for changing.

from one quality of yarn to another and changmg from the warpto the filling wind, and vice versa, was complicated and involved considerable time and more knowledge than were possessed by the average operator.

In carrying out my invention, I also vary the speed of the spinning machine by varying the speed of an electric motor which drives it, but I avoid the difliculties above referred to by operating the speed varying device directly from a controller which is separate and distinct from the spinning frame and is so constructed and arranged that it may be readily adjusted to increase or decrease the range of movement of the speed varying device and also to vary the relative speeds of advance and return as the ring rail reciprocates. I am therefore able to quickly change the movement of the controller, either to accommodate changes in the quality of the yarn orto adjust the drive for warp or filling, at willL Preferably the controller also comprises, as a part thereof, means for shifting the range of movement of the speed varying device as operated by its movement to shorten, or

lengthen the connection between the controller and the speed varying device. This is accomplished by means of a sliding member consisting of two spaced blocks. The controller comprises a crank mechanism driven either direct by the driving motor or from any suitable part of the frame which moves in synchronism with the ring rail, and in which the throw of the crank is Variable both as to its length and to the ratio of the forward to the return speed. The speed varying device is attached to one of these blocks and is given an oscillating motion in synchronism with the rise and fall of the ring rail. At the end of each back stroke the blocks of the controller will be moved a small amount with reference to each other so as to vary the speed in accordance with the variation in length of the balloon.

The particular speed varying means which I have shown for purposes of illustration is a brush shifting device for the mo- --tor, so that with my arrangement the brushes will be shifted back and forth over the commutator so as to give the variations in speed of the motor in synchronism with the ring rail on the spinning frame.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention embodied in concrete form, Figure 1 shows the parts of my device assembled and Fig. 2 is a detail of the block adjusting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated only such parts of the spinning frame as seem essential for the disclosure of my invention, since spinning frames are old and well known and my in vention does not depend in any way upon the construction of the spinning machine.

Referring, therefore, to Fig. 1, 1O represents the usual rollers, 11 the wire eye and 12 the ringrail on which is mounted the ring 13 carrying the traveler 14 of an ordinary ring spinning frame. In order to simplify the drawings as much as possible, I have merely shown the ring rail in a conventional manner as being operated through a lever 15 pivoted at 16. One end of the lever is pivoted to the lower end of a rod 17, the upper end of which is secured to the ring rail so that the ring rail moves up and down with the rod 17. The other end of the lever carries a weight 18 for raising the ring rail. The builder mechanism is also illustrated conventionally as consisting of a cam 19 driven through suitable gearing by an electric mo-- tor M. The lever 15 is operated so as to raise the weight 18 by a flexible cord 20 having one end attached to a segmental arm 21 on the lever 15, while the other end of the cord is attached to one end. of a lever 22 pivoted at 23 and adapted to be rotated about its pivot by the cam 19. A rod 24 pivoted to the lever 22 extends upward and has at its upper end a roller 25 which engages the face of the cam 19, so that as the 1,1saoae cam rotates the rod will be forced downward so as to depress the end of the lever 22 to which the cord 20 is attached. The lever is raised by a weight 26 which holds the roller 25 in engagement with the face of the cam in the upward movement. In order to advance the ring rail 1 have provided means for gradually lengthening the cord. This is done by having the cord wound upon a shaft 27 driven by a worm wheel 28. This worm wheel is driven by a worm 29 mounted on a shaft 30 to the end of which is secured the rail in a well known manner.

As a means for varying the speed of the motor, I have illustrated a speed varying device of the well known brush shifting type 33, although it is obvious that my invention is in no sense limited to this particular speed varying means. is shown as being moved in one direction by a spring 34, and for purposes of illustration I have shown it as being moved in the opposite direction by a flexible cord 35. One of the important features of my invention lies in the provisions where-by this brush shifting device 33 is moved back and forth to vary the speed of the motor by a controller which is separate and distinct from any part of the spinning frame. The cord 35 attached to the brush shifting device This brush shifter passes over the rollers 36 and is attached to j the controller which is caused to reciprocate or oscillate through mechanism driven directly by the motor. Any suitable means for bringing about this oscillating motion may be employed, but for purposes of illustration I have shown a crank mechanism comprising a pivoted arm 37 which is caused to oscillate by a main gear 38 which is driven at a proper speed directly from the motor through gearing 39. The arm 37 is pivoted at 40 in a slot 41 formed. in a stationary plate 42 and the pivotal point may be adjusted in the slot for purposes hereinafter described. One end of the rod is provided with a slot 43 for receiving the crank pin 44, secured to the gear .38. The crank pin slides back and forth in the slot in a well known manner. The opposite end of the rod is likewise slotted to receive an adjustable pin forming the pivotal point 45 for a connecting rod or link 46 pivoted to sliding blocks 47 and 48, adjustable with reference to each other, the .cord 35 being attached to the block 48. The two blocks 47 and 48 are moved with reference to each screw shaft 50 through beveled gears 51,

' the movement of the ring rail.

so that when the ratchet wheel i9 is turned -m one direction or the other the lower block will be moved toward or from the upper block. An adjustable pawl 52 is arranged so that each time the sliding blocks are moved downward, the'ratchet wheel will be rotated a distance of one or more teeth in a clockwise direction, thereby shifting the 'brushes farther around on the commutator and giving aslight increase to the speed of the motor to correspond to the decreased length of the balloon. The sliding blocks 47 and 48 will make a complete forward and backward stroke-for each complete revolution of the gear 38, and this movement will be transmitted to the brushes of the motor.

The gearing between the motor and the reciprocating blocks is such that the movement 'will be equal to the advance speed which corresponds to the motion of the ring rail for warp spinning. By adjusting the pivotal point 45, the speed varying device may be caused to operate'over awider or a narrower range, as may be desired, and consequently the speed variation may be quickly adjusted to suit the movement of the ring rail. It will thus be seen that the speed of the motor M is varied in accordance with the movements of the ring rail by means which is adjustable independently of the ring rail or other member of the machine and is of such a character and is operated at such speed that it may be adjusted while the motor is running.

To adjust the spinning frame for various kinds and qualities of yarn a suitable change is made in the gearing between the motor and the builder shaft.v If the controller is driven directly from the motor in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, any change'in the gearing between the motor and the builder shaft will require a corresponding change between the motor and the gear 38, but obviously the controller might be operated from the builder shaft of the machine instead of being operated directly from the motor, and in Fig. 3 I have illustrated such a connection. Referring to this figure, it will be noted that the gear 38, through which the speed varying mechanism is driven in Fig. 1, is geared to the worm wheel which drives the cam 19. Otherwise the arrangement and operation will be the same as that described in connection with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

I have shown'and described my invention as applied to a spinning machine, but it is obvious that it is equally applicable to other textile machinery, such as slubbers, spoolers, etc.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form. for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications thereof will suggest themselves to'those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed. claims.

What I claim'as new, and desire to se- I reciprocating member adjustable at will to vary the range of movement of the member in relation to the range of movement of the builder mechanism of the machine, and

.means whereby each reciprocation of the member changes the relation between the speed varying device and the member to shift the range of movement of the speed varying device.

2. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device, a

controller therefor having a. reciprocating movement in synchronism with the movement of the ring rail, and means for relatively varying the advance and return speed of said controller.

3. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor and means whereby said speed varying device is caused to reciprocate in accordance with the movement of the ring spinning machine, said means being adjustable to adapt it for either warp or filling wind. 1

4. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor, a controller connected thereto driven by the motor and having its parts adjustable with reference to each other to produce a reciprocating movement of said device which may be varied at will, and means associated with said controller where-' by the connectionbetween the speed varymachine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varylng device for said motor, a controller for operating the speed varying device comprising a reciprocating mechanism driven by the mo tor and having a quick return motion in synchronism with the movement of the ring rail of the machine, means for automatically adjusting the operating relation between the controller and the speed varying device upon. each reciprocation to shift the range of movement of the speed varying device, and means whereby said reciprocating mechanism may be changed from quick return motion to a simple harmonic motion.

6. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor, a reciprocating mechanism having a quick return motion driven in synchronism with the movement of the ring rail of the machine, driving connections between the device and said reciprocating mechanism, means for automatically varying the length of said connection upon each reciprocation to shift the range of movement of the speed varying device, and means for changing the reciprocating mechanism from a quick return motion to a simple harmonic motion.

7. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor, a reciprocating member connected to said speed varying device for shifting thesame, a connecting rod therefor, driving connections with the connecting rod adjustable at will to vary the range of movement of the member in relation to the range of movement of the builder mechanism of the machine, and means for varying the length of the connection between the reciprocating member and the speed varying device to correspond. with the advance of the ring rail of the machine and thereby shift the range of movement of the speed varying device.

8. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor, a reciprocating member comprising two spaced blocks movable with. referto said speed varying device,

ence to each other, one of which is connected a connecting rod connected with the other block, driving connections with said connecting rod where by the said member is caused to reciprocate in synchronism with the movement of the builder mechanism of the machine, and means for varying the distance between said blocks in synchronism with the advance of the ring rail of the, machine.

9. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor, a reciprocating mechanism comprising two spaced blocks movable with reference to each other, one of which is connected to the speed varying device, a connecting rod connected with the other block,

a crank mechanism having an adjustable throw for operating said connecting rod, said mechanism being driven in synchronism with the movement of the builder mechanism of the machine, and means for varying the distance between said blocks in accordance with the advance of the ring rail of the machine.

. 10. The combination with a ring spinning machine or the like, of an electric motor for driving the same, a speed varying device for said motor, reciprocating mechanism comprising two spaced blocks movable with reference to each other, one of which is connected to the speed varying device, a connecting rod connected with the other block, a quick return crank mechanism for operating said connecting rod, said mechanism being driven in synchronism with the movement of the builder mechanism of the machine, means whereby said crank mechanism may be changed from a quick return motion to simple harmonic motion, and means for. varying the distance between said blocks in accordance with the advance of the ring rail of the machine.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of February, 1913.

' EDWIN D. BOLES.

Witnesses:

SIDNEY B. PAINE, ROLAND E. DAvIsoN. 

